Mary Jo Tate One day last spring, my 4yo Thomas wanted to know if today was a school day. “I want to do school,” he said. “What kind of school work do you want to do?” I asked him. He replied, “I want to do the kind of school where the whole family sits down together and draws … Read more
I happened to be browsing tonight through a catalog designed for early childhood classrooms that follow a popular educational philosophy that advocates carefully preparing children’s environment and using specially designed child-sized objects. Alhough there were several nice, reasonably-priced items that I found appealing, there were a few things that absolutely blew me away. Honestly, now, is an 18-piece set … Read more
Last week we finished reading The Swiss Family Robinson aloud as a family. Just before I began reading the final chapter, I asked the boys to guess how they thought it would end. Forrest (aka Ernest): They’re all killed by savages. Andrew (aka Fritz): They find a ship and are rescued. Perry (aka Jack): They’re … Read more
Elementary, my dear Watson! The purple rabbit was Army Captain Jazz Jackrabbit, carrying an M-16. Sgt. White Tiger was a Marine, and he carried an M-4 carbine. His mysterious headgear was an infrared camera for night vision and espionage. The Beanie Babies were captured by Iraqi forces, and Saddam Hussein interrogated them and asked them where … Read more
Let me preface this tale by reminding you that I have 4 boys. I just opened my upright freezer and discovered two tall glasses, each containing a Beanie Baby in G.I. Joe gear inside a solid cylinder of ice. The clear glass contained a white tiger with a machine gun and some sort of headgear … Read more
To read without reflecting, is like eating without digesting. Edmund Burke
Muddling among old books has the quality of a sedative, and saves the wear and tear of an overwrought brain. Sir Walter Scott, Journal (1890)
What’s wrong with this picture? A recent newspaper article on our local library mentioned the popularity of its after-school tutoring program and cited the example of a woman tutoring a third-grader who was learning about clocks and money. This didn’t strike me as particularly noteworthy until I read the tutor’s comment that sometimes “parents stay downstairs … Read more
“Good as it is to inherit a library, it is better to collect one.” Augustine Birrell, “Book-Buying,” Obiter Dicta (1887) I have to agree with this. There’s something extra rewarding about discovering a long-sought-after book on the shelves of a quaint shop or even online. Of course, I prefer the quaint shop experience, but sadly … Read more
“I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.” (Anna Quindlen, “Enough Bookshelves,” The New York Times, August 7, 1991) Now that’s my idea of decorating!! And I’m pretty sure it will be for my boys as well. The … Read more